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Sunday, April 9, 2017

HELLO, SPRING!

I have been a busy bee with family and friends, food, deconstruction and sewing.Here is my new Koos jacket, V1277...

I was inspired by my dear Paris traveling companion, Ruth, who was wearing this magnificent jacket the day I met her...

I used only stash fabrics for this, sticking to black, gray and silver

(in great number in my fabrics). The primary fabric, a black and gray parallelogram taffeta, was from Marcy Tilton,

as were the rest of the fabrics. I was able to use a fun silver trim from Paris for the bias sleeve seam.

Here it is on Ethyl, my dress form , where you can get a better idea of the fabrics I chose.

This was one of the more time-consuming projects I've taken on recently, due to the piecing, and to the making and applying of miles and miles of striped silk bias tape, but I enjoyed it, slowing down and listening to my Audible books. I listened to LaRose, by Louise Erdrich, and the first three of the Tana French Dublin Murder Squad books, In the Woods, The Likeness and Faithful Place...loved them all! I'm on #4 now.

Despite all the work involved, I enjoyed it so much that I am working on ANOTHER Koos jacket, a different pattern, which I will show you next time.

The weather here has been all over the map, and one morning recently, I went back in the house for another layer...and found a coat I had bought in Paris, had

put in my coat closet, and FORGOT ABOUT!!! I'm afraid that may be a sign that

I have too many clothes😜. Here is the coat:

It's by Lauren Vidal. It was in the window of the LV store which Shams and I passed on the way to a fabric store with the group. When we were finished, we whipped back to the store and I bought the coat immediately. It is gray felted wool with an irregular black splotchy design. The inside is quilted silk, and it is piped with silver leather. YUM!

It's hard to believe I forgot about it, and I will be building my wardrobe for an upcoming trip to London and Scotland around this coat.

Maggie and David came up for a few days last week, and were joined by some friends of theirs from Las Vegas. There was the usual amount of companionable cooking in the kitchen...

This was a tasty barley and vegetable bowl, topped by expertly poached eggsby Maggie.

THIS gorgeous arrangement was a surprise from SIL David. Among the orchids and roses are half a dozen highly fragrant lilies...Over a week later, they are still perfuming the dining room! Thanks, David! You know how to impress your MIL!!!We enjoyed their visit...we took a picnic lunch up the mountain one day, flew their friends's drone.The deconstuction I mentioned is the frightening amount of work we are having done for a serious termite infestation. Among other things, our very large deck has to be replaced, and while they were working, they found some dry rot...

It actually makes a lovely abstract painting, but it has to be repaired...😟I was honored to be the subject of an article in our local paper recently...

Here's a link to a readable page if you're so inclined...it's on page 14.

Our Teddy boy is doing well; he's learning some new hand signals and goes to

doggy day care twice a week; he comes home EXHAUSTED from playing with the big guys, which is such a help!

Then he goes to sleep...One last picture before I go to roast a chicken for dinner...

Dave came in from collecting the eggs the other afternoon and showed me this...it must be a first attempt by one of our new hens. Back to the drawing board, Henny-Penny!I am traveling over to Patti's Visible Monday today...come admire the VisibleWomen!TTYL

I'll never forget that day in Paris, sometime after we'd met Ruth, and inspiration visited. You exclaimed, "I think I'll make that Koos jacket, but use all black/grey textured fabrics!" I remember you buying that trim, too. You knocked it out of the park!! Fabulous!

Thanks, Silver Mom. I took covered wire (you can get two weights at Marcy Tilton's) and just laid it in the seam allowance of the collar. The top stitching made sure it didn't go anywhere. I wired about 18" of the collar. I've begun doing this with a lot of my collars as I like to pop them.

Fantastic Koos jacket. I'm one fabric short of making one too. Will follow your lead on the wire in the collar. Your new Paris coat lovely. Enjoyed the newspaper article. It makes me happy to see Teddy tired after play dates. Bummer about the termite damage.

Your new coat is almost like a quilt, it begs to be touched and explored, although I hope people keep their hands off! Incredible piece, and the time you spent on it clearly shows. I enjoyed your newspaper article. You're a schtar!!

I thought the rot was art too. Haha. And now you can really serve green eggs and ham. Or not. Heh.

Forgetting that coat is like forgetting a diamond jewels in the soap dish. Fantastic piece.

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Margy Houtz

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About Me

I've been sewing for 65+ years, with several long sabbaticals. DH and I owned a vineyard and winery for many years, but now we travel and enjoy our life. I've collected fabrics and textiles from all over the world and enjoy using some of them in my sewing.